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APPROPRIATE TERMS AND WORDS FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS

reverseracism:

I’ve been asked to compile a list of appropriate terms/words when referring to Indigenous Australians.. So here goes!

As a little bit of back-ground info on us.. Indigenous people in Australia have the longest continuing culture/s in the world. With many different language groups, culture groups, similarities with cultures in certain parts of Africa, Indonesia and nearby countries/nations, Aboriginal Australia is indeed diverse, to say the least.

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Terms/words that are appropriate:

• Indigenous Australian/s
• Indigenous 
• Aboriginal 
• Aboriginal people/s
• Torres Straight Islander person/s
• Torres Straight Islander people/s
• Native (though it’s not used as much here and more often heard to describe the Indigenous people of America, some will use the word)
• Black (yes, we ARE Black.. the white settlers used the term “Blacks” which reduced us down to our skin color.. we’ve reclaimed that word and is often used like “Black-fella”)
• ATSI - Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander/s (umbrella term for Aboriginal and Torres Straight Island people’s or for shorthand)

Terms/words that are NOT appropriate:

• Aborigine/Aborigines (a big no-no and sadly many still use these terms today)
• The Aborigines
• The Aboriginal people
• The Torres Straight Islanders
• Blacks
• Colored
• The n word (pretty obvious, really)
• Half-caste 
• Full-blood 

Appropriate area-specific terms:

• Murri - Qld, north west NSW
• Nyoongah - WA
• Koori – NSW
• Goori - north coast NSW
• Koorie - Vic
• Yolngu - Arnhem Land
• Anangu - Central Australia
• Palawa - Tasmania
• Ngarrindjeri – SA - River Murray, Lakes, Coorong people
• Torres Strait Island Peoples
• Murray Island Peoples
• Mer Island Peoples

Also, words that are used to describe us as “less-advanced” when compared to European societies, are not acceptable. We are not less-advanced, or less-modern or a “primitive” people - we are just different. As is everyone. 

Please direct any further questions to black-australia.

Thank-you!!